GradSchoolTruther

If you're turning down a program just because of the name of a degree, you need to rethink what you want out of a graduate program. As for programs being hard to get in to, they are.

Don't go to any program yaygrad chooses.

As an unfunded student, your advising and research opportunities with faculty may be limited. Departments will favor those with funding, since they are investing in their skills.

You are selling the OP on a dream that will likely lead to a mountain of debt with few prospects to pay off that debt. I know what cinema studies is, and I know that for a master's, the same skills can be acquired at other schools.

Buyer beware. Just don't be a subject for a Rebecca Schuman article.

It's cinema studies; not learning how to be a filmmaker. The location does not really matter.

Need to ask the graduate coordinator the number of people who started without funding and received it in subsequent semesters for the past several years.

Does the program even offer funding for MA students? Don't see anything on the program website regarding MA funding. If you can't pay for it, your options are clear, right?

Repeat, not a good idea to go to a Ph.D. program without funding. Not a good idea to think you can leverage it into funding down the line.

Why focus on the name of the degree? It's not as if a master's in social sciences is really all that helpful.

What happens if you get a C or lower in the course? Are you in danger of losing funding or being kicked out of your program?

The OP seems to have issues with how academic writing is structured. Don't know if this is the same class mentioned in the other thread, but in graduate school, professors shouldn't have to hold their students' hands through every step, including whether to continue on. Also, you can improve. I started out on a couple of assignments in two courses with Cs and worked to earn As or A-s for my final grade.

I am concerned at the point that the OP doesn't have a grasp on basic concepts of academic writing, such as using bibliographies or literature reviews.

Don't do an online master's, especially in the sciences.

You have to get permission from the school If you accept an offer and then decline after April 15.

Read the CVs of professors in your department and your field. The CVs should list their latest conference presentations or panels where they have served as chairs or discussants. The International Studies Association meeting is this week and is one of the big ones.

Never heard of an appeals process for an admissions denial. At this stage, what can you do to convince a program to admit you?

Write detailed lecture notes and study them beforehand. Foster discussion, have in-class activities, and show interesting short videos.

I'd take the classes that are required for bioarchaeology, if you want to major in it, which should be listed in your college catalog.

You are expected to not just recite what the arguments are, but situate them within the literature and critically analyze the week's readings.

I have my guesses why they want an electronic copy. Sorry you didn't get the affirmation a special snowflake should get.

As most of us would have guessed, the story keeps changing.

If a program or professor wants to keep someone, they will "fudge" grades up a bit to meet the minimum GPA requirement.

Why are you telling us a different story than what you're telling the other professor? Seems as if "come up with a research idea" has morphed into publishing multiple papers in your first year. Also, sorry you didn't get the affirmation you clearly seem to think you deserve.

Obviously, you're not careful if you don't save the finished product.